


The Lord of Nightmares

by jmajerus



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 04:46:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19369969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jmajerus/pseuds/jmajerus
Summary: The Lord of Nightmares has always been.  It is his job to bring nightmares to the human race.  A one-shot with implied abuse.





	The Lord of Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all. I was reading some writing prompts and thought this up. It is a one shot. I will be going no further with it.

It was dark, which suited him nicely. The inky blackness of night and shadows was his lifeblood. Dark corners and alleyways the places where he made his home. At least in the city and in this day and age.

  
It used to be the dark woods and the blackest nights. He used to lurk just outside the candle and torch light waiting for darkness to settle for him to do his job. He had been around since the first humans and he would be around until the last, maybe even after. Some called him fear. Others called him a monster under the bed or in the closet. But he called himself the Lord of Nightmares. Inspiring fear in even the bravest of souls.

  
Sometimes his job was easy. Sometimes he simply lurked just outside the light, making the floor creak or scratching a talon along the wall. Sometimes he had to dive into their minds, bring their fears to life in their dreams. He was a monster, a demon, terror incarnate and he thrived upon the rush of adrenaline that filled the humans he tormented. Their quickened heart beats and shallow breaths were a symphony to his ears.

  
But tonight seemed to be one of those nights. The figure curled on the bed was already cloaked in the scent of fear and not the kind that he feasted upon. No, this terror filled the air with rancid, putrid, rotting scents that made him recoil. It was a message to him that his services were not needed here.. But they decidedly were.

A creak of the floorboards outside of the room that had nothing to do with him brought a fresh wave of putrid scent into the air. The clink of a glass bottle against the door handle had the figure in the bed trembling.

  
The first time he had come across this, he had exploded in fury. His job served a purpose. He was there to remind humans of the natural terrors of the world. To prove to them they were not invincible and to remind them to be alert like the animals they actually were. But this perverted fear. The fear cultivated by perversions of the human race he could not abide. It served no purpose but to control.

  
Often it was women and children, but men were victims of it too. To these victims, he entered their minds and built them a paradise in their dreams. A safe house to give them hope in a hopeless situation. Sometimes it was the only kindness these humans knew. Then he unleashed himself on their tormentors. The first one had been driven to madness at the sight if him and what he had become. Throughout the years he had developed more finesse.

  
And the woman on the bed seemed to be the kind who knew no kindness. She let out a soft whimper as he drifted closer to see her and it called to some deep primal part of him to protect unlike any of the others had ever done. He rounded the bed and found himself transfixed. One pale, thin wrist was bound to the bed with chains. Her golden brown hair was tangled and limp. Her body too thin, her skin slack and streaked in handprint shaped bruises. But her face is what held him. Mainly the blue gray eyes that stared directly up at him as if she could see him. He jerked back slightly. They weren't supposed to be able to see him unless he willed it and he had not willed it. But damn him if she wasn't the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  
The door handle turned beyond them and a tendril of darkness whipped from him to hold the door shut without a second thought from him. The women's intelligent eyes followed and then shifted back to him.

  
"Take me with you," she whispered as her own private monster banged on the door trying to get inside.

  
It was impossible, he wanted to tell her. He could not just bring her into the shadows with him, but damn him because he wanted to. He wanted to bring this beautiful creature with him.

  
Without thinking he reached up to the chains around her wrist and watched them break in his taloned hands. And where his skin brushed against hers, he felt electrified. Selfish, he decided, he was being selfish as he drew her up out of the bed and pulled her against his body. And when he wrapped his wings of darkness around her, he heard her soft gasp of wonder and it was the sweetest sound. Then her pale skin started to glow lone star in the darkest of nights. And she smiled up at him, and it was the most dazzling thing he had seen.

  
"Take me with you," she said again, a demand and a plea.

  
Images of her pressed against him in a lovers embrace. Of her soothing away the worst of his nights. Of her spending the rest of eternity with him. And he realized that was all he wanted and more. And he would give in if it meant even a remote chance at any of it.

  
He nodded and pulled her impossibly closer, wrapping the shadows and darkness around them.

  
He whisked her away just as the door crashed in and a blonde beast of a man fell into the room cursing. They were both privy to the roar of fury as he discovered the empty bed but neither of them cared.

  
The Lord of Nightmares had found his dream.

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate all comments.


End file.
